Leveling and holding device



Sept. 21, 1954 c. c. YOUNG LEVELING AND HOLDING- DEVICE Filed Oct. "1,1951 IN V EN TOR. 6'. Y0

Garlan a BY UH HIS A GENT Patented Sept. '21, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,689,412 7 LEVELING AND HOLDING DEVICE Guiana ti. Young, WichitaFalls, Teih, assignm- 6f one-half t6 Joe B; Elder, Wichita Falls, Tex. Apiieation October 1, 1951, Serial No. 249,060

J 10 Claims.

1 A This invention relates in iinpieveihehts in ie'vehng ieviees andmore hertieuieiiy to 1eve1ine devices for levefing or holaihe an ebieetin e predetermined relation to the hdrifihintal (iii any surface,whether the sunfaee is level, irreeuiar, or sloping.

Various leveling devises have been nropesed heretofcre, but these wereof little rise on theselar or sloping surfaeesor when the object 'te beleveled was abe've erbelow the ire-tee e r sue elese quarters that itcoiild not he ieveieder set wit res eet to the surreee with which it wasco-rela'ted. J r

In setting siich ehjeets as tii'inhlb'ns for deer hinges, door checksand the like, it is often re quired that these be set s e that the orDivot is in alignment with atrhhnioh dlf pivot point abil't thatbeiheset, and such installations are frequently set in that are rough or(it not have their finish that at thettifiie the trunmen is set. or, ifthe hear is finished, .l hstallation of such tfunn'ions, pivot paints,deer checks or hinges, becomes a very exacting brocedu're, as the mustbe properly seated from the pivot point above, and the pivot paintiiiu'st be in axial alighiheht with nivet pei t above. Also, the hivetpoiht Fleee e xed re1atien to the finished floor regardless (if whetherthe fled! is level; rou her s'lhpihg. I

An object of thi iiivhtiohis to hrevide e ieve1- ing device vvhen holdsa hinge, deer cheek or other object to be set at it pidflfilillfi levelill in an angular positioh with respect t6 the henzontal, regardless ofthe terrain er si rfeee on which the device is to be used to set thehinge, door cheek or the like.

Another object of this ih'vehtioh to iii'qvide a device for holding anObject to be set in a level or fixed position with re'sneet to theheiizehtel and to provide an opening there th'roi'igh to make theplumbing of the object poss ble with respect to a fixed pointthereabove.

Still another object ofthis invention to provide a leveling devicehaving pairs of downwardly depending fingers for gripping and holding anobject in a predetermined relation With the upper surface thereof i Astill further object of the invention is to :provide a holding devicefcr holding hinges, deer" checks and the like, which holding device isadjustable through a wide range. and which will enable the setting ofhinges, door sheets and the like at or belowth'e snrface. 7

Yet another ebjeet er the invention te pro- Vid a lVlifig deifii'i that'ifi "siffipl EDIEWU? 2 tion, inexpensive to maniifatlii'e. and that iseasy and positive ih operation.

An embodiment hi this inventien is illustrated inthe aceoin "vine;drawin in whieh:

Fig. 1 is a pe spective view of the tieviee taken f ein abeve andshowing an end and e. side of;

Fig'. 2 is a sectional view taken or the line 2*: Fig. 1 looking in thedirection indieatd by the arrows, and showing the device. as resting aeeherete neon surface, with a. trunnion member, shown in dashed outline,suspended in a recess Within the ijnfti and Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof one term of trunmen member from the top, showing an end and a sidethereof. A

With more detailed reference th the drawing, the numeral designates aeene rete floor he'wifig a recess or hole 2 forihed therein. The device,as shown in his; 1, has a late 3 which is of Substa'n tically T-shape.screw members '4, 5, and 6 are previdd; One at eeeh end of the r sha edframe member, and whieh serew members are provided with hand wheels 1.8. and 9, respeetively at their ut er ends,- en whites-crew members arepeintei at in, II, and met their respeeti've iowe'r ends. The screwmembers are 'prbvided with pointed lower ends int tworeasens, first, toreduce the skidding of the leveling device, and secdhdly, the pointedlower ends of the screws al'ldw's for a more accurate leveling of thesurface on which it is used if the Surfae is irregular or sloping, 1101does the pointed lower end of the screws airect the ready placing, ofthe device, as would be the case if the adjusting screws had large flatends.

The stem I3 of the Mnemher has a central slot l4 throughout the greaterportion of the length thereof, and the slots I5 and iii are formed inthe stem 13 on each side of the slot U! and are parallel thereto. BoltsIT, I8. [9 and 21! pass through the slots l5 and I6 and have their upperends threaded to receive the respective wine nuts 2 I, 22, 2'3; and 24.The lower end of each of these bolts is secured to the respectivelateral rojections 25, and 26, as by Welding or the like. Theprojections 25 and 26 have pivot pins 21 and '28 passing therethroughand through "a looped end of depending hooks 29 and 30, respectively, soas to form a hinge joint, as will best be seen in Fig. 2.

Each of the members 29 and 30 has a hole intermediate the ends thereof,a bolt 3! passes through each of these holes, and has a. head on One endand a wing nut onthe opposite end. A

* com ression sprin is is interfi'tt'ed hettveeh the depending hooks 29and 30 so as to urge the hook members apart when the wing nut 32 on bolt3| is loosened. The depending hook members 23 and. 33 have inturnedhooks or lips 34 and 35 formed on their respective lower ends so as toengage below a shoulder 36 of the object to be leveled or set, as willbest be seen in Fig. 2.

The object being set, such as a hinge or a door check 31 may have anupstanding trunnion post 38, which must be aligned with a trunnionthereabove, as in the case of a door, whereupon, a plumb bob may bedropped from the center of the upper trunnion so as to align with thecentering hole 39 on the trunnion post 38, therefore the plumb bob pointmust pass through slot 14 to enable the correct alignment.

Operation Preparatory to the setting or leveling of a door check, hinge,trunnion, or other object to be leveled or set, wing nuts 2|, 22, 23,and '23 are loosened and moved the desired spaced distance apartlongitudinally so as to accommodate the object to be leveled or set,then the wing nuts 32 are loosened so as to permit springs 33 to swingfingers 29 and 30 laterally outward until they are sufficiently wideapart to accommodate the object to be leveled or set. Whereupon, theobject, such as a door trunnion or door check, 31 is then insertedbetween the fingers 29 and 33, then wing nuts 32 are tightened until thehook points 34--35 interengage below the outstanding shoulder 36 of theobject being leveled, so as to support the object.

Then, with the object 31 supported by two pairs of fingers 29-43, thewing nuts 2!, 22, 23 and 24 may be tightened to hold the objectrelatively rigid with respect to plate member 3, or if desired, beforethe screws are tightened, the

object 31 may be moved longitudinally of the stem 13 of the T-shapedframe member, to the desired location before the last mentioned wingnuts are tightened. After the object 31 is secured in place and with theplumb bob or other device suspended from a point above, to a point abovewhere the object 31 is to be located. Thus the position of the platemember 3 and the object 31 is determined, and the device can be movedinto the proper position and aligned under the object in substantiallyvertical align ment.

With the plate 3 positioned so that the point on the object 31, such asalignment hole 39, is in alignment with the point of the plumb bob, handwheels 1, 8, and 3 of the respective screws 4, 5, and 6 are turned untilthe upper surface of the door check or other object occupies the correctelevation with respect to the surface of the floor in which it isbeingset. As in the present case, Fig. 2, the surface of the object is shownto be level with the floor, whereupon, certain of the hand wheels 1, 8,or 9 may be turned to lower or raise the particular portion of the plate3 until levels 43 and 4| indicate that the plate 3 is level bothtransversely and horizontally, and since the distance from the top ofthe plate 3 to the top of the hooks 34 and 35 is equidistant, and objectof even thickness, resting thereon will be parallel to the surface ofthe plate 3.

When the surface of the plate 3 is leveled by levels 43 and M, thesurface of the object will also be level, and if the up-standing post 38is vertical with respect to the top surface of the object 31 and inalignment with the center of the axis above, and the correct spacingtherefrom,

the door check can be accurately and positively set to any predeterminedspecification, thus eliminating any trial and error method of setting.

After the object 31 has been suspended the correct spaced distance fromthe trunnion post or other point of reckoning from above, and with thedoor check or other object 31 suspended in hole 2, as is the usualpractice, grouting cement 42 is filled into hole '2 and about door checkor other object 31 to a point slightly below hooks 34-35, and with theobject 31 suspended, it is left until the cement has hardenedsufficiently to support the object 31, whereupon, wing. nuts 32 areloosened until hooks 34--35 disengage from below shoulder 36 to permitthe removal of the leveling device. As in the present illustration, theremainder of the hole 2 may be filled with cement so as to make a flushmounting, with the trunnion point or other point of reckoning positionedto the exact desired point, the object 31 is thus accurately leveled andheld in that position until the cement has hardened, thus making theinstallation permanent in its proper aligned position. 1

While the device has been described in some detail with respect to theleveling of door trunnions, hinges and the like, it is to be understoodthat this has been set forth as a matter of example and as respectingone application of the device, but the inventor wants it to beunderstood that the present leveling device may be used in any fieldwhich requires the leveling of an object with respect to the horizontal,even though the adjacent surface may be level, irregular, or sloping.

It is also to be pointed out that while the invention has beenillustrated and described in some detail in one embodiment thereof, itis to be understood that changes may be made in the minor details ofconstruction, and adaptations made to particular installations withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a leveling device for holding an object in a predeterminedposition with respect to the horizontal, a frame member, a plurality ofadjustable members mounted at spaced points about said frame member forraising and lowering said frame member with relation to said surface onwhich said adjustable members rest, levels positioned on said frame atright angles to each other for leveling said frame member, a pair ofdepending members having inturned hooks, means for adjustably connectingsaid depending members to said frame for longitudinal adjustment withrespect tosaid frame members for holding said object horizontally aspaced distance be low said frame member, and means for bindinglyengaging said depending members laterally with said object.

2. In a leveling device for holding an object in a predeterminedposition with respect to the horizontal, a frame member, threeadjustable screw members mounted at spaced points about said framemember for engaging a surface for raising and lowering said frame memberwith relation to said surface on which said adjustable screw membersrest, levels positioned on said frame at right angles to each other forleveling said frame member, a pair of depending members having inturnedhooks, screw means for adjustably connecting-said depending members tosaid frame for longitudinal adjustment with formed therein,

respect to said frame member for holding said object horizontally aspaced distance below said frame member and screw means for bindinglyengaging said depending members laterally with said object.

'3. In a leveling device for holding an object in a predeterminedposit-ion with respect to the horizontal, a frame member, a plurality ofadjustable screw members engaging said frame member and adjustable withrespect thereto for raising and lowering said frame member, levelspositioned on said frame at an angle with respect to each other forleveling said frame member, said frame member having a plurality ofopenings one of said openings being so arranged as to permit takingmeasurements and plumbing therethrough, other of said openings havingscrew members therethrough to attachably secure depending memberstherebelow for holdin said object a spaced distance below said framemember, and means for drawing said de pending members together tobindingly engage said members with said object.

4. In a leveling device for holding an object in a predeterminedposition with respect to the horizontal, a frame member, a plurality ofadjustable screw members engaging said frame member and 'being adaptedto rest on a surface, said screw members bein adjustable for raising andlowering said frame member with respect to said surface, levelspositioned on said frame member at an angle with respect to each other,said frame member having a plurality of elongated slots formed therein,one of said slots being so arranged as to permit taking measurements andplumbing therethrough, the other of said slots having screw memberstherethrough to attachably secure depending members therebelow forholdin said object a spaced distance below said frame member, and screwmeans for drawing said depending members together to bindingly engagesaid members with said objects.

5. In a leveling device for holding an object in a predeterminedposition with respect to the horizontal, a frame member, threeadjustable screw members engaging said frame member and adapted to reston a surface, said adjustable members being adjustable to raise andject.

6. In a leveling device for holdin an object in a predetermined positionwith respect to the hOI'i screw members threadably engaging said framemember and being adapted to rest on a surface,

accents therein, one of saidslots being so arranged as to permit takingmeasurements and plumbing therethrough, the other of said aligned slotshaving screw members therethrough to attachably secure depending memberstherebel'ow for holding said object a spaced distance below said framemember, resilient means interposed between said depending members forurging said depending members apart, and screw means for drawing saiddepending members together to bindingly engage said object.

7. In a leveling device for holding an object in formed therein, one ofsaid slots being so arof said parallel slots to said frame, saiddepending members having inturned dependin members thereon, which hooksare hingeably mounted and suspended below said frame for holding saidobject a spaced distance therebelow, resilipending members together to.bindingly engage said object.

8. In a leveling device for holding an object in rest on a surface, saidadjustable members each having the end thereof that contacts saidsurface pointed, said adjustable members 'being adjustable to raise andlower said frame in relation to said of depending members suspendedbelow and adjustably connected to said frame which depending membershave inturned lips for holding said object substantially horizontal aspaced distance therebelow, and screw means for bindingly enon forengaging and holding said object a spaced distance below said framemember, and screw members for drawing said depending members toward eachother for engaging said object.

10. In a leveling device for holding an object in a predeterminedposition with respect to the horizontal, a substantially T-shaped framemember, a plurality of adjustable screw members threadably engaging saidT-shaped frame member and the lower end thereof being adapted to rest ona surface, said adjustable screw members being adjustable for raisingand lowering said frame member with respect to said surface, levelsmounted on said frame member for leveling said frame member, saidT-shaped frame member having a plurality of aligned slots formed in thestem portion thereof, one of said slots being provided for measuring andplumbing therethrough, the other of said slots having screw boltstherethrough for engaging a member therebelow for adjustment along thelength of said slots, said member therebelow having depending membershingeably connected thereto and each of said depending members havinginturned hooks for engaging and holding said object a spaced distancebelow said frame member, resilient means for urging said dependingmembers away from each other and screw means for drawing said dependingmembers toward each other for engaging said object.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

